Romeo Crennel: being around players 'keeps you young'

Romeo Crennel: being around players 'keeps you young'

When Romeo Crennel moved up from defensive coordinator to Texans assistant head coach after the 2016 NFL season, a role in the press box instead of the sidelines, it was easy to presume we’d seen the last of Crennel actively coaching on game days. The 70-year-old has been coaching since 1970, after all.

Yet “Uncle Romeo” is back on the Texans sidelines, reclaiming his old coordinator position after Mike Vrabel left to be the head coach in Tennessee. Crennel clearly enjoys being around the players, a sentiment he expressed during the Senior Bowl week in Mobile.

“It always is,” Crennel responded when NFL Network’s Alex Flanagan asked him after practice if it was invigorating being around the players. “The guys keep you young. That’s one of the good parts of this job is that you get to interact with these young men on a daily basis.”

He also seemed eager to get more hands-on once again.

After admitting, “it’s hard to tell”, much from the practice sessions, Crennel noted, “you can look at ability and you can tell ability.”

Texans fans are hoping his renewed energy will help him bring the most out of the defensive players’ abilities.

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